Yes, I disappeared for a while. But I made this chapter longer than usual, so please don't kill me.

Her head was throbbing.

Worse than any headaches she often had after a particularly hard meeting with her Council or when the demands of the people were difficult to meet even when their expectations had been nothing but high over her. Like something had been hammering down against her temples and now she was left with the sensation as if needles were prickling against her head. Her whole body felt sluggish, heavy and aching when moved, and even opening her eyes felt like such a hard task to do.

But she pushed through, blinking through heavy lids to stare up at the ceiling above her, noting the dim room she was in with the source of light coming from one corner, though she couldn't tell if it was a candle or a lantern.

What was she doing here? How could she even end up here? She had no recollection whatsoever of ever booking a room, let alone actually coming to occupy it for the night. Where was this anyway? There was no time for her to think further as the sound of opening door had her tilting her head to see who it was, bracing herself for whoever it was, but there was only a silent pause before the door was shut back closed.

Strange.

Pushing herself to sit up, she had regretted her decision as soon as it was done, as her stomach twisted and her mind swirled to the point that she was in the brink of throwing up, though she had swallowed the urge back down as she leaned heavily to the side of the bed as she prompted herself with her elbow, brows furrowing as she attempted to gather herself.

Again the door opened for the second time, and this time it was accompanied by the sound of footsteps, of heels clicking against wooden flooring, and she had tilted her head up to see the person who had joined her, though with her still blurring vision added with the poor lighting of the room, it had taken her a moment to recognize the woman's face.

"Oh, thank goodness, you're awake!" the woman had lowered herself to sit by the side of the small bed, too close to her liking though she could barely flinch with the condition her body was in. "You had me worrying for you, my dear." She moved to place something on the end table, a bowl, with a whiff of something that may have smelled -and tasted, delicious if only her nausea had not been as overwhelming. "I brought you soup."

But she was far from being hungry, instead she wanted to cough up everything that she had consumed up to this point, anything that was left in her stomach. This was not any ordinary morning sickness that she had grown accustomed with. This felt weird, made her felt almost… sickly.

"What happened?" even mustering those two simple words were difficult, as she had to push down the bile that started to rise up from her stomach. "Where are we?"

The duchess eyed her, just for a moment she could have sworn something crossed over the grey of her eyes before it disappeared. "You passed out, right there at the tavern. I have some kind gentlemen to bring you to this inn." The thought of men bringing her, carrying her, sent a shiver down her spine. No one was allowed to touch her without her say, none but her husband, but she supposed when she was unconscious there was not much that she could do but to be thankful that she was not in any way abandoned.

How could this have happened anyway? She was fine when she had started her travel from Arendelle, she was fine during her ride with the Nokk, and she was fine when she had arrived. It was only when she had met with the duchess, when she had walked into the tavern and sat down that she began to not be fine.

"My drink-"

"I fear someone has tampered with your water."

There was no other explanation, it was the only thing that she had consumed in this town, and although her memory was a blur still, she was sure it there was nothing else that she even touched. The thought that someone had gotten to this small town, to know exactly where she was and where she would be, frightened her. No one in her family knew where she had exactly gone to, let alone others, so how could this person had found her and found a way to render her defenseless?

"But do not worry, there are people who are already looking into this." Atalie's hand moved forward to touch her hand, in a gesture of comfort perhaps, but she did not have enough faith in herself that her magic was in check when she barely could support herself up like this, and so she had drawn her hand back. The gesture had surprised the older woman, she could tell by the look on her face, but once again it had melted away so quickly as she offered a smile instead. "I did not tell who you truly are, I simply told them that someone may pose a threat to a woman such as you, it was enough to make them take a move."

"I need to go back to Arendelle."

Had to, now that she had seen that even outside of the kingdom with an anonymous identity, she was not safe, she realized that it was a mistake coming here all alone, believing that her magic alone could protect her. But it could only protect her against those she knew was a threat.

"In such weakened condition? Do not be foolish." She wanted to protest, to say that she was alright, that she could manage riding across the ocean on the water spirit's back for half the day, but she knew that she would only be lying to herself. "Rest, gather your strength." Bending down, Duchess Atalie had reached out toward something that were hidden behind the end table, and she had expected it to be anything but an empty bucket. "In case you feel sick." She gestured at the item, sliding it over until it stopped right underneath where her head was hovering, at ready to catch anything that came from her stomach. "You are looking horribly pale."

And she felt horrible too. But she was a headstrong, and she refused to appear even weaker before others. She held on, no matter how heavy her breathing was, no matter how sweat had started to roll down her temples and how her platinum blonde hair had stuck against her skin, she swallowed down the urge to hurl her stomach's content.

Her silence had brought a frown over the reddish-haired woman, though she had merely rose back to her feet. "Eat up, before the soup gets cold." Moving to leave the room, Atalie had stopped and lingered at the doorway, looking back over her shoulder. "Or do you much prefer it that way, Queen Elsa?"

She didn't stay and wait for an answer, simply exiting as she closed the door behind her, but still the question had not escaped her notice of how oddly it was expressed. She didn't know how much knowledge the duchess possessed over her magical ability, though it would not come as a surprise that she at least know, her husband -the Duke of Weselton, must have told her of what had occurred during his last visit to Arendelle, before she had severed their trading relations. Still, to refer to her preference in food just because she was the Snow Queen did not sound right.

Left alone, she had pushed herself to properly sit, though the sudden pain at the lower part of her stomach had forced a wince to escape her lips. Panic engulfed her then, fearing for the wellbeing of her child, of the worst that could have happened, but as it slowly decreased and faded back into nothing but a faint numbness, she had forced herself to shake off the dark thoughts. No, her child was fine, it was alright and there was nothing she should be worried about, her child was strong and would hold on as she tried to recover from whatever it was that she was currently suffering through, and that the pain was to be expected at the time of her pregnancy -as her muscles stretched to once again accommodate the life growing within. And then once she was strong enough, they would go back home, back into the safety of Hans' arms, and she wouldn't have to worry about anything at all as she enjoyed the chance to be a mother once again.

"Mama will get us home," cradling the small bump, her thumb had move to caress it with care. "So please, hang in there, little one."

For her unborn child, she would do anything in her power to fulfill her promise.

Everything was white.

Like a blank canvas awaiting to be painted by colors of life, quiet with the intention to give peace, but it had sent a chill down her spine instead with how empty this place was that she had almost shivered as her arms moved to hold her own figure while her feet move to walk forward -wherever that may take her. But there seemed to be no end to this place, for as far as the eyes could see there was only white.

There were voices, faint and almost unheard if only this place was not as eerily silent as it was, echoing against the apparent dome that curved over her head -but even looking up she could not see the ceiling above.

Should she truly follow them? There was no way of telling who they were -real people or simply another siren call like the one that had led her to Ahtohallan, but there was no other choice that she could take, she was not going to stand around doing absolutely nothing.

The voices continued, like a conversation almost, in hushed whispers that slowly grew louder the closer she come toward them. Where was she heading anyway? There was no telling if she had been walking straight ahead or straying to the side, for there was no path on the ground or anything to indicate it.

She was still unable to decipher on what the voices were saying, or if it was even in a language that she understood, but the further she went, the harder it was for her to move, as if the ground was swallowing her feet into a thick mud, each step heavy and requiring her to work harder to even lift her foot. But when she looked down, there was nothing wrong beneath her, like it was all just her imagination but had felt so real.

The voices started to grow distant again, going away from her, out of her grasp, while the invisible matter that held her down climbed her legs much faster, to her knees and even up her thighs, trying to swallow her whole. Her hand reached forward but there was nothing to hold on, her mouth opened to cry out but no sound came out, the edges of her vision started to darken, a stark contrast to the white, engulfing her.

"—poor Queen."

It was difficult for her to open her eyes, lids heavy and head still throbbing with exhaustion, but she could feel someone's fingers around her wrist, thumb pressing down, warm against her skin. It did not feel like Duchess Atalie's touch, there was a certain certainty in that, and she dared herself to take a peek while keeping herself as still as she possibly could to fake sleep.

The female that sat by her bed was younger, though she had cursed the dimly lit room that had casted shadow over her face until she couldn't exactly tell who it was, holding herself back from drawing her hand away from her grasp for who she was to dare and enter a stranger's room and touch them?

But then again, she almost looked somewhat familiar.

Her mind was foggy, muddy with both grogginess and the effect of whatever it was that she had consumed no matter how much time had passed, and now the 'stranger' has become a familiar face that she didn't realize how much she had missed so dearly. Strawberry blonde hair unmistaken.

"Anna?"

Startled, the girl had looked up, with what she assumed would be a surprised expression on her face -which she didn't quite understand why her sister had not lunged herself at her instead, eyes wide as she move to get up from her seat, though halted as her fingers curled around her wrist, holding her back.

"Anna, please," you wouldn't leave me alone, would you?

Yet the girl had merely wriggled her wrist free, her grasp had not been strong enough to hold her further, heading for the door without even a single glance back over her shoulder, and that mere moment had broken her heart. Her sister, who had sworn to always be by her side, had walked away in her most vulnerable moment, a moment that she needed her the most.

She pushed herself off the bed, as heavy as her body may feel, and had managed to stand on her own two feet, if only momentarily, before she had collapsed back onto the wooden floor. Her legs were sore, stiff and felt like they had not been used for days, pins and needles sensation stabbing against her very skin. But she had been moving around, from bed to the washroom, just earlier.

The door swung opened, and entered the Duchess, rushing to her side after seeing the Queen sitting on the floor with sweat rolling down her temples.

"Oh, Queen Elsa," it almost sounded like the older woman was cooing at her, as her fingers wrapped around her upper arms, holding her. "What are you doing? You should know better than to strain yourself." Duchess Atalie helped her back up and bringing her to lie on the bed, despite her reluctance as she had grown tired of just lying down.

"There was someone—"

"You're imagining things," the older woman interrupted. "This is why you should rest instead of going out and about." But she was sure the person had been real, she could feel those fingers pressing against her wrist, the warm skin when she had held her back. "Rest. So that we may leave as soon as you are able."

She may have merely expressed her concern over her condition, her words had somehow felt so… oddly placed, of how she had referred her condition to be the deciding factor of when they could leave. But then again, she may just be a kind woman not wanting to leave the sickly woman under her care behind for selfish purposes. She herself certainly wouldn't.

"Duchess Atalie," she had called out, just when the woman had made her way toward the door, prompting her to turn back with a raised eyebrow. "I never thanked you, for caring for me when you could have return back to Weselton, back to your husband and daughter."

The corner of her lips tugged into a small smile, she was sure of it, but she may have imagined that as well, for it had only lasted for mere seconds before Atalie's expression returned into an unreadable one. "There is no need to thank me, Queen Elsa."

Something had nagged his mind for days.

A certain uncertainty that had kept him awake at restless nights. At first, he had thought that it was due to the absence of the figure by his side, sleeping peacefully in his embrace, emitting comforting chill especially during the summer season such as now. He began to wonder if this was what Elsa had felt and gone through back then during his absence due to the pirates in the Arendelle waters, all alone with no one but their son in her womb back then.

He had brought Wilhelm to sleep with him the next night. It helped, if only for a little, to hold his sleeping son in his arms, marveling at how the boy had slept soundly in his mother's side of the bed, snuggled up against her pillows as his father's hand gently patted his back to further deepen his slumber.

But no, this was not it. There was something unknown, unspoken, that demanded his attention even when he didn't know what.

His son had questioned when his mother would return with each day that had passed, as he missed her terribly, and each time he had to assure him that she would return soon. He could understand his son's impatience in waiting for Elsa, he had spent the majority of his life with his mother by his side, not to mention that each and every time that the Queen had travelled to the Enchanted Forest she had always brought the boy along, thus why the days had been rather long for him without her.

It was only when he decided to consult his sister in-law that he realized that the feeling had not only nagged him but Anna as well, and with their agreement with each other they had decided to come to the Enchanted Forest despite the fact that Elsa had not been gone for a week yet.

The confused expression on Yelena's face was expected, as Elsa may have told her of her husband's ultimatum of only being gone for a week and had not expect him to arrive with the Princess to come and collect her -not to mention Kristoff and Wilhelm in tow as well, but it was her statement that had thrown them off in return.

"What do you mean she's not here?" He had questioned, brows furrowing as he looked at the Northuldra's leader, standing at least a head taller than she.

"The Queen has not set foot in the forest ever since her last visit weeks ago."

"Hans?" Anna's head movement as she slowly turned to look at him almost looked animated, sharing the same confusion but also with a dash of suspicion flashing in her eyes, as if she suspected that he had knew, had taken part of whatever it was that Elsa was doing, while he too was just as lost as the Princess. "Where is my sister?"

And he damned well wish he had an answer, but he didn't and that had made him feel useless as he only able to shake his head.

"Papa?"

"You're telling me that we have been sitting around in the castle for days," the strawberry blonde-haired Princess started, while he had turned his attention to the boy in his arms whose eyes had started to fill with the disappointment after he had been so excited with the thought of meeting his mother. "Doing nothing, while thinking that Elsa is up here and safe with the Northuldra, when in truth we have no idea where she's at right now?"

"Anna," Kristoff's hand came to rest on his fiancée's shoulder, holding her back. "It's not Hans' fault."

"He allows her to go!"

"Elsa lied to me just as she lied to you, Anna." His teeth gritted, feeling insulted at the idea of his sister in-law thinking that he would have allowed his wife, his pregnant wife, to go somewhere without the assurance that she would be safe. "If you have not noticed, Elsa is a stubborn person, and she had insisted that she was only going to Ahtohallan—"

"Ahtohallan?" Yelena had cut in, with a raised eyebrow. "If she told you she was going to Ahtohallan then she would have ridden the Nokk, yes?" When both he and Anna had nodded in confirmation, she had gestured toward the river by the tribe's camp. "Then the water spirit may know where she is."

"Only Elsa can summon him." The auburn-haired Prince pointed out, with only the slight annoyance at the fact. "She's the Fifth Spirit."

"Yes. The Fifth Spirit possess the ability to do so." Yelena nodded, though there was something in her eyes, a knowing glint, as he glanced at the young boy held in his father's arms. "But so does those of her blood."

"Wilhelm." The Princess concluded, moving to get her nephew out of his arms and into her own as she brought him to the river, the others following behind, kneeling down. "Do you think you can call the Nokk? We need him to find Mama."

He had expected for his son to be just as confused as he had felt, but instead the boy had nodded -with confidence too, as he wriggled his way out of his aunt's hold, putting himself on his hands and knees as he reached into the water, soaking his fingers in.

And the Nokk appeared.

Jumping out of the surface of the water so powerfully that he had sent them stumbling backward, but not Wilhelm, no. The boy had smiled instead, pushing himself to stand as the water spirit bowed his head down to be in his eye's level, letting the boy to touch his snout with a snort.

The Nokk knew Wilhelm, familiar with him, and vice versa.

Anna was the first to recover from the shock of having the water spirit jumping out of the river, standing over the surface, gathering herself as she stood on her own feet. "Help us find Elsa." Her request had made the stallion looked up, eyes narrowing. "Please."

The spirit seemed to be considering the Princess' words, before he had glanced down to where Wilhelm was, and just as sudden as he had appeared, he had disappeared, melting back into the water without the mean to help.

"Come back here!" he called out, despite his better judgement that he should not have yelled at an ancient being, especially when it may be the only one that knew where his wife was. But he was frustrated, he was angry, and he was done with the spirits.

And he would have come out with more, harsher and perhaps even louder words, if only his son had not tugged against his pants, gaining his attention. "He wants us to go to the Dark Sea. He's waiting for us there, Papa."

His son understood the spirits. That, he should have expected. Exchanging looks with the Princess, there was a silent shared feeling between them, of doubt and uncertainties. Should they? As both knew how dangerous the Dark Sea could be. And they were not Elsa, the spirit may as well had only planned on drowning them like it did to ships that dared crossed.

"We should just go." Kristoff piped in, "I may not know the spirits that much, but I can tell that ancient beings can be impatient at times. You don't want to keep them waiting."

"Do not fret," Yelena added, "The Nokk is going to help you find your wife, Prince."

He didn't think that he would see it.

True to his son's words, the Nokk was there, standing over the dark waters, waiting for them when they had reached the rocky beach, if only a little impatient from the way he had eyed the group, hoof digging against the water.

He wanted them to ride him, the way that Elsa had done numerous times, and it did not take much consideration for them to decide that Hans was the one to go, knowing that the stallion could only take two adults, and when they find Elsa she needed a place on the horse's back. Though wary with the fact that there was no rein for him to hold on, he had mounted the spirit, feeling the coolness of the water surface against his pants, but unexpectedly the fabric was not soaked, the water that made the spirit's form did not wet his clothes.

He wished his son could just stay with Kristoff and Anna, waiting at the safety at the tribe's camp instead of having to face the raging waves until he returned with his mother, but he may have been the key that they need in finding Elsa, and so he sat in front of him, with his father's arm holding him close, as they took off.

The waves calmed down as they rode passed, as if nature knew not to toss the father and son off the stallion's back on their journey to find the Fifth Spirit, controlled and kept down by the water spirit itself.

After the long ride -that he thought would have been even longer, the Nokk had brought them to a glacier in the middle of the sea, and from the way that Wilhelm had leaned forward with wondering eyes, he had a feeling that this was Ahtohallan.

Had Elsa been in Ahtohallan this whole time? But how could she have stayed for days with no resources whatsoever?

There was something in Ahtohallan that had reminded him of his wife as he and his son made their way in -calling out for the Queen as they did so, a pulsing of energy that he didn't think a place could possess. Magic.

Deeper into the cave, the cold didn't stab as badly as he thought it would, despite his lack of warm clothing, but it was there, lingering thickly in the atmosphere. This place was connected to his wife in a way, the source of who she was and why she had her ability running down her veins. Perhaps even running down Wilhelm's veins as well, though not as strongly.

He recognized the bridge that stood over the dark abyss as one of Elsa's creation, beautiful swirls of intricated designs unmistaken to be his wife's attention to details as he crossed it, ice standing firmly under his weight, unshaken and unbroken.

Further in, he had found himself in the darkest room of all, so dark that he could not see the floor underneath his feet and the walls that surround him, had no idea how big the place was. But it was empty, he knew that, saved from the four diamonds on the floor that prompted him to come close.

It laid in a design that he recognized, a snowflake but not quite, with a far dimmer fifth piece in the middle. The Fifth Spirit. Elsa.

Where is she?

Wilhelm's hand slipped out of his grasp as he walked forward, approaching the middle piece, and when both of his feet were on it, light had suddenly burst from the snowflake design, spreading far and wide like wildfire, brightening their surrounding to reveal that the place was not empty at all.

There were ice statues all around them, moving around to recreate moments that had passed before. Memories. Elsa's memories. Surrounding the two, telling them of the life that the woman that they cared for had lived. He noticed how often he had appeared, the years of their marriage appearing right before his very eyes, and he could see the grow that he and his wife both gone through. From barely acknowledging one another to being able to connect and understand each other through a mere gaze.

"Papa," Wilhelm's call had broken him out of his train of thoughts, as he pointed a finger at a memory that had taken his interest. "Is that Mama and me?"

Following his direction, he could not help the smile that grew on his face. Elsa was holding a bundle in her arms, the babe's face obscured from prying eyes by the blanket he was wrapped in, rocking and humming gently.

"It is, Wilhelm, when you were still a baby."

He wished to explore more, to recall the sweet memories that he shared with his wife, to see what she had seen, but the did not have much time to waste.

Why did the Nokk had taken them here, to Ahtohallan, when it was clear that Elsa had never set foot here either? What did the spirit wished for him and Wilhelm to discover by looking at her memories?

"—maybe I could find who had sent him."

The voice had made him turn around, it was Elsa's but it had come from one of the memories instead of the real version, and he recalled her talk with her about this. They were discussing her idea of going -and he had foolishly believed her words. Perhaps she had not fully lied, perhaps she had only lied about where she was going, not why. Elsa was looking for answers about the assassin still, just somewhere else.

She knew something and she didn't share it with him.

"Queen Elsa,"

That voice was unfamiliar, unheard of, and it attracted his curiosity as he took his son's hand, searching for the source. He found Elsa, dressed in the same coat that she had left with, conversing with another woman who was clearly older than she -a decade at most. The memory was new but it was situated almost at the edge of the dome, away from the others.

"Duchess Atalie. I hope your travels from Weselton were well."

She was meeting the Duchess of Weselton, despite his warnings to not reach out for them, but he couldn't tell where, for Ahtohallan did not show places and only people and objects on occasion. The two women moved, with Elsa walking behind Atalie, following her as they continued to conversed, toward a small opening on the wall, where Atalie had paused, turning to look at Elsa.

"Why of course, I can only imagine your desire to return back to your kingdom as soon as possible, yes?"

She made a gesture of pushing a door opened, though there was none, and the two ice statues had walked in, disappearing as they descended the stairs.

"Where is that lady taking Mama?"

"I don't know, Wilhelm."

He was on his way into following them when a singing voice echoed in the dome, in a tone and voice so familiar to them both.

Dive down deep into her sound. But not too far or you'll be drowned.

It was Elsa's voice, singing, warning them of the dangers of diving deep in looking for an answer. He remembered what she told him, of what had occurred when she had come to Ahtohallan, how she had frozen and died -if only momentarily. She was diving too deep.

Tugging Wilhelm's hand, he had prevented the boy from going through the hole, looking down to see his son had tilted his head to a side in confusion on why his father had stopped.

"We need to go back now, Wilhelm. There's nothing else we can find."